rezerwowy

Rezerwowy is a Polish word that functions as both an adjective and, in certain contexts, a noun. It denotes something kept for later use, as a reserve, spare, or backup. The base noun is rezerwa (reserve), from which the adjective is formed with the suffix -owy. As an adjective it agrees with the noun it modifies: rezerwowy samochód (spare car), zapas rezerwowy (reserve stock), plan rezerwowy (contingency plan).

In sports, especially football and basketball, rezerwowy is commonly used as a noun to describe a substitute player: the team’s rezerwowi zawodnicy sit on the bench and may enter the game as substitutes. The feminine form is rezerwowa, used for female players. In military and broader contexts the reserve is expressed with rezerwa or rezerwista, while rezerwowy as a noun is less common outside sports.

Other uses include spare parts and equipment: części rezerwowe, sprzęt rezerwowy. It may also denote a backup or contingency in planning and IT, such as adres rezerwowy (reserved address) or plan rezerwowy (backup plan).

Etymology: from rezerwa, reserve; related to rezerwować “to reserve.” The term is widely understood in Polish and appears in dictionaries and style guides with the sense of ‘spare, backup, or reserve,’ distinct from quantities of reserved resources expressed by rezerwy.

See also: rezerwa, rezerwista, rezerwowy gracz, zapasy rezerwowe.